Northern Mariana Islands general election, 2014

Northern Mariana Islands
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General elections were held in the Northern Mariana Islands on November 4, 2014. Voters will elect the Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Lieutenant Governor, the Attorney General, the Delegate to the US Congress, the Senate, the House of Representatives, mayors, municipal councils and the Board of Education.

Incumbent Republican Governor Eloy Inos ran for re-election, facing two independent challengers and one Democratic challenger. The next lieutenant governor was elected on the same ticket, with incumbent Jude Hofschneider not running for re-election. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, then the top two tickets will advance to a runoff election.

Background

The previous election was held in 2009 for a 5-year term,^[1] in order to move all elections to even years. Covenant Party candidate Benigno Repeki Fitial was re-elected; his running mate Eloy Inos was elected to his first full term as lieutenant governor. Fitial resigned as governor in February 2013 in the face of impeachment hearings. Inos thus became governor. In September 2013, he took steps to merge the Covenant Party with the territorial Republican Party, and will run for re-election as a Republican.^[2]

Gubernatorial candidates

CNMI Democratic Party

• Edward "Tofila" Masga Deleon Guerrero, former Ports Authority executive director, running as a Democrat^[3]
  • Running mate: Danny Quitugua, former representative

CNMI Republican Party

• Eloy Songao Inos, incumbent governor, running as a Republican^[2]
  • Running mate: Senate President Ralph Torres (R-Saipan)

Independent (Non-partisan)

• Juan Nekai Babauta, former governor, running as an independent^[4]
  • Running mate: Juan Torres, former senator

• Heinz Hofschneider, 2009 candidate and Speaker of the House, running as an independent^[4]
  • Running mate: Ray Yumul, senator (I-Saipan)

Delegate to the US House of Representatives

Incumbent Delegate Gregorio Sablan is running for re-election. He is caucuses with the Democratic Party, but is running as an Independent. Sablan is being challenged by Democrat Andrew Salas, a former territorial representative and Commerce Secretary.

Results

Governors

Saipan Senate

House of Representative

Attorney General

Referendums

The general elections included three referendum questions, two of which involved amendments to the constitution. The constitutional amendments were to:

• amend article XI, section 1 (e) of the constitution to increase the minimum proportion of the national budget spent on primary and secondary education from 15% to 25%.^[5]
• amend article XII, section 4 to redefine "persons of Northern Mariana Islands descent" as being someone who has "some degree of Northern Mariana Chamorro or Northern Mariana Carolinan blood", as opposed to the current requirement of at least 25% bloodline.^[6]

The other referendum asked voters whether a Constitutional Convention should be convened to propose amendments to the constitution.^[6]

Results

References

External links

Official campaign websites

• Juan Babauta
• Heinz Hofschneider
• Gregorio Sablan
• Andrew Salas

Elections and referendums in the Northern Mariana Islands General elections 1963 1966 1969 1972 1975 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2012 2014 US House elections 2008 2010 2012 2014 Referendums 1958 1961 1963 1969 1975 1977 1983 1985 1987 1989 1993 1995 1996 1997 1999 2005 2007 2009 2010 2012 2014